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When I talk to people at events, I see how business models have changed over the last year. Bike Share operators are constantly challenged to keep up with the rapidly changing industry and offer better rider experiences to its users.

A big opportunity for operators in 2018 is in how Bike Share Schemes are managed. It will not be enough to just supply the bikes, questions will be asked about how operators cater to the local market needs.

Intelligent operations will be at the heart of Bike Share Schemes in 2018 with operators focused on delivering the best experience to compete in the highly saturated market.

As Bike Share continues to grow across the globe, I see the following trends changing the marketplace:

Rise in App-Based & Dockless Bike Share Models

App-based Bike Share Schemes are being deployed in more markets globally. In many urban cities, you now have access to free-floating bikes that can be picked up and dropped off virtually anywhere. In 2018, we will see an increase in cities adopting these schemes in an effort to reduce the strain on existing transport infrastructure and facilitate the move from personal vehicles.

Growth of Multi-Operator Environments

Multi-operator environments are not new. We are already seeing many cities where more than one operator is running a scheme. Throughout 2018, this is likely to grow to more cities around the world and operators will be asked to deliver an optimised Bike Share Scheme to keep up with the competition. Cities will also need assuring that resources will be better managed to avoid bikes being damaged or left in unsuitable places.

Optimised Redistribution with New Technology & Incentives

The growth in Bike Share Schemes and multi-operator environments will be the driving force for better redistribution. Operators will be challenged to offer schemes that work well and is not a nuisance to cities or its citizens. Fortunately, new technology such as geo-fencing and incentives including financial rewards will drive better rebalancing processes. From the events I’ve been to, it’s clear that operators are looking to do more to improve their redistribution efforts.

Increased Bike Share Regulations

Bike Share operators have welcomed the prospect of more regulations. While some may hinder current operations, most regulations will help Bike Share Schemes to thrive. It will guide operators as to what is required and enable them to grow into new markets much easier.

Driving Intelligent Bike Share Scheme Operations

In 2018, operators will look towards better ways to manage their schemes and to grow their ridership. We see growth in technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) simplifying the management process. It enables operators to sort through vast amounts of data to gain actionable insights that has a direct impact on their operation. That kind of information makes management of Bike Share Schemes simple and efficient.

In 2018, we will continue to see disruption in all parts of Bike Share and the wider transportation industry. It will impact how operators do business. How these schemes are managed will still be the main focus for many cities and its citizens.

Users expect transportation to be as simple and efficient as the other services they consume on a day-to-day basis. That puts the pressure on operators to deliver a well-run Bike Share Scheme.

An optimised scheme enables users to rely on its services and use it regularly. It reduces unnecessary costs and complications for operators while driving profits to their business.

Fortunately, I see new technology, incentives and processes enabling operators to transform their current business model.

At Stage Intelligence, we combine citywide data with AI technology to deliver real value to Bike Share Scheme operators. Our BICO platform makes it easy for operators to simplify their operations and deliver Bike Share Schemes that works for both cities and the users.

Big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) provide a valuable opportunity for growth to Bike Share Schemes that have been deployed and developed across the six continents. Both schemes that are in the planning stages and ones that have already been deployed can benefit from leveraging big data and AI

Operators looking to drive growth to their schemes need AI to sort through vast amounts of data. If you combine millions of different criteria across a large urban area, the sheer number of possibilities can be overwhelming.

Every element matters and can influence where bikes are dropped and congestion occurs. In the worst-case scenarios, a rider borrows a bike but can’t find a dock and must travel away from their destination to drop it off and when they return there are no bikes remaining.

Data and AI is key to avoiding this situation. It ensures rider satisfaction by predicting demand in popular areas and managing supply. Only with data and AI technology can Bike Share Schemes look to improve existing processes, operations and logistics, and drive growth to their operations.

Going forward, data needs to be more accessible to operators. Open data allows Bike Share Scheme operators to deliver a transport solution that works for all. Data ensures bikes are available when and where it’s needed to support the growth of Bike Share Scheme deployments around the world.

Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will still be paramount in the push for the openness of data. Cities, operators and all others involved have a duty to follow secure practices and take necessary steps in protecting user information.

Data and AI are ready to help operators to adapt and grow their schemes while refining and simplifying how they manage distribution.

For operators, getting started is simple:

Evaluate long and short-term goals and growth objectives

Explore what AI-based management platforms are available

Look at what open data, shared data and Smart City initiative have been launched or are being developed locally

Collaborate with AI experts and begin the journey towards smarter and more efficient Bike Share Schemes

Insights from schemes in London, Paris, New York and Chicago show that data can be used to deliver optimised rider experiences and grow Bike Share Schemes

LONDON, 8 November 2017 – Stage Intelligence, the leading provider of Bike Share Scheme management solutions, has released its 2016 Q4 data on bicycle and docking station usability and availability across Bike Share Schemes in London, Paris, New York and Chicago. Usability is central to providing an exceptional rider experience and supporting the growth of Bike Share Schemes. It ensures bikes and docking stations are available when and where they are needed most.

The data reveals Chicago and London leading the group with an average usability figure for the quarter of 99.3% and 99.4% respectively. Chicago has been consistent in delivering a reliable Bike Share Scheme to its riders. London is also rated highly but this could indicate over servicing its market, which can create unnecessary costs and limit growth.

New York City ranks the lowest of the major cities with an average usability figure of 90.2% for the quarter. It means that on average 10% of riders at any given time cannot access the bikes or docking stations they want. Paris follows New York City with an average usability of 98.1% with usability dipping to lows of 76.7%. The inconsistency in the scheme means that it may be difficult for riders to depend on the scheme on a daily basis.

“Bike Share riders and cities benefit from Schemes that are easy and reliable to use,” said Tom Nutley, Head of Operations at Stage Intelligence. “Operators need to make sure that riders have access to bikes when and where they need them without over servicing the market. This is where the London scheme could be at most risk. The data is very positive for London but it could be using too much city resources to manage its operations especially when there is no need to.”

Stage’s usability measure compares all docking stations that are within easy walking/cycling distance in a published 500m radius from each other, which can be altered by the BICO platform. The platform takes into account each city’s SLAs when measuring the usability of a Bike Share Scheme. A docking station is usable if there are bikes and docking points available at the station itself or at one or more of its neighbours. The BICO platform can also set custom usability defined by a specific threshold or the SLAs of different cities.

“For Bike Share schemes to be seen as a real, public transport solution and a smart answer to urban mobility, they need to work as good or better than existing public transport services,” said Paul Stratta, Director, at Platform for European Bicycle Sharing & Systems (PEBSS), an initiative from the ECF. “Nowadays people go to bus and railway stations expecting the services to be there, and for it to operate on time. It should be the same with Bike Share schemes. Collecting and analysing data allows Bike Share operators, and their city clients, to get a big picture of operations and understand where bike share can improve and how exactly to do it.”

The neighbourhood approach goes beyond the usual cluster and geographic data collection method which may be a sub-optimal approach – especially in larger schemes. It can identify if Bike Share Schemes are managed well and if it is over or under servicing the cities and its riders. The BICO platform is dynamic to each city and considers each city’s user patterns and prioritisation as well as the SLAs they operate under to measure the usability of Bike Share Schemes and provide valuable data for operators.

“Our BICO platform allows us to take a deep dive into individual Bike Share Schemes in different cities and neighbourhoods around the world and find ways to improve usability within them,” said Toni Kendall-Troughton, CEO at Stage Intelligence. “We were particularly impressed with Chicago’s Bike Share scheme which was performing well without over servicing its neighbourhoods or the market. It was consistent throughout the quarter with high usability figures and over-performed on busy summer weekends to meet the rise in demand.”

About Stage Intelligence

Stage Intelligence specialises in developing Artificial Intelligence solutions for the transport and logistics industry. Its flagship solution, the BICO recommendation engine, delivers real-time intelligence for the management of bikeshare schemes. BICO enables precise and optimal decision making and has been purpose-built to remove the complexity from managing resources within a bikeshare scheme. Customers choose Stage Intelligence because our solutions increase their agility, adaptability and enable them to move beyond traditional manual processes. We collaborate with customers to solve complex problems and deliver solutions that have a lasting impact on their operations.

Cities and its citizens stand to gain a lot from the success of Bike Share Schemes. They provide a clean and healthy transportation option in increasingly congested urban areas. Cities now play a huge role in attracting new schemes and supporting the adoption with cyclists.

In an effort to grow and capture further market share, Bike Share Schemes are always looking to enter new markets. Chinese start-ups are a prime example of this with many expanding to nearby countries such as Singapore and even as far as the UK.

Operators are now looking at more than just market size. They need to be sure that cities can fully support the growth of their schemes with proper infrastructure, capital and in changing consumer perception if necessary.

We highlight what cities and city planners can do to help attract Bike Share Schemes and support the adoption and growth with its citizens:

Provide safe cycling infrastructure:

It is important that citizens have access to safe cycling infrastructure. By promoting safe cycling, more riders are likely to see Bike Share Schemes and cycling in general as a viable solution.

Suitable cycling lanes and places for docking stations will be critical to the adoption and growth of the schemes.

Promote a cycling culture

The citizens are one of the biggest assets for cities. By changing perceptions and encouraging people to cycle, Bike Share Scheme operators will see more value and potential in entering the market.

Aside from getting operators into the market, a cycling culture will also greatly benefit the city. As more people cycle, the image of cities itself can be reshaped while seeing environmental and cost benefits.

Work with existing transportation hubs

A huge amount of Bike Share Scheme riders see it as a last-mile solution. Such schemes often help them get to their final destinations quicker, easier and more cost efficiently.

Through working with existing hubs by strategically placing bikes and docking stations, operators will have access to a large portion of the market. Cities can also offer its citizens an integrated transportation option.

Partner with operators

By working with operators, cities can ensure that Bike Share Schemes are set up to meet both the needs of the cities and citizens as well as the operators themselves. Showing a willing partnership is going to be more encouraging to new operators looking to enter and grow in a specific market.

Cities also have immense potential in capturing data. Operators need to make use of the data available in cities to increase ridership. Data within cities can be used to identify key areas that will be crucial to new schemes and is also highly helpful in predicting demand.

At Stage Intelligence, we use real-time data available in cities and Artificial Intelligence technology to simplify Bike Share Scheme logistics. By understanding the data, Bike Share Schemes can remove complexity and give bikes to riders when and where they want them.

To find out more about how Stage Intelligence can manage operations and increase ridership within your Bike Share Scheme, please contact

As increasing number of people look to get healthier, save money and time and preserve the environment, it’s no surprise that Bike Share Schemes are growing in popularity around the world.

With traditional schemes doing well in many cities, more and more start-ups are bringing out dockless Bike Share Schemes in the hope to take advantage of the rising on-demand culture. It gives riders convenience, choice and transparency over the more traditional docked schemes.

With a free-flowing Bike Share Scheme, riders can use their smartphones to find, pay for and unlock bikes and leave the bike anywhere once they are done. It’s this level of simplicity that is making such schemes very popular.

In fact, in China, the most mature market for Bike Share Schemes, start-ups have had massive success entering the market, raising significant amount of funding and supplying vast amounts of bikes.

At the same time, the news in this market dominates around dockless bikes being stolen, damaged and left in an unsuitable place by their millions. For operators, they are constantly replacing bikes while cities and its citizens are seeing more cluttered bikes on their streets.

This raises the question; which schemes should cities adopt? Free-flowing Bike Share Schemes are a topic of heavy debate for many cities due to the problems they can create if it remains unmanaged. The solution for many companies was to supply more bikes to the market, which only added to the problem.

But operators are now becoming savvier. They are offering parking spaces, rewards for good riders and improved apps to track their bikes. This is a step in the right direction to tackling the problem. With dockless bikes being a good way to get people cycling, it would be wrong to completely rule out the free-flowing schemes.

Instead, operators should focus on how they can effectively manage existing resources to benefit themselves, the cyclists and cities. By effectively managing logistics, operators can remove bikes from overcrowded and unsuitable areas to supply it to areas that need them.

Through collecting and organising huge amounts of data available in cities, operators gain real insight into their schemes as well as the market. They gain cost efficiencies as they are not unnecessarily purchasing bikes and riders can trust that bikes are available when and where they need them.

At Stage Intelligence, we use close to infinite amount of data and Artificial Intelligence technology to offer a simple management process for Bike Share Schemes. By predicting demand and managing supply, operators see real benefits to their schemes.

London is putting cycling front and centre of its campaign to deliver smarter, greener and more efficient transport.

In August, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan shared his vision for the transforming transport in London. He wants the capital city to be a place of ‘active transport’ and is working to make the city greener, smarter and easier to navigate.

Following this announcement, Transport for London (TfL) awarded a new £79.7 million Cycle Hire contract to Bike Share Scheme operator Serco, which includes the development of lighter, more comfortable and more maneuverable bikes. Serco will continue to maintain and distribute the fleet of Santander Cycles until 2022.

Cycling has already taken a major role in commuter life in London. There is a fleet of 11,500 Santander Cycles in London and TfL says that there are over 610,000 bike trips a day made in the city, well over double the figure of the early 2000s.

In 2000, central London’s roads during the morning rush hour were populated by seven times as many cars as bikes. This ratio has now dropped to nearly two to one, leading TfL to predict that bikes will outnumber cars within a few years.

Khan recognises the potential and popularity of cycling within London, and has created a campaign for enhancing the cycling experience in London. He has agreed to increase the TfL budget spend on cycling and has given the go ahead on continuing the build of the cycle super highway. He wants London to be a leader in supporting cycling and show the rest of the world that London understands how to deliver active and green transport.

Khan is dedicated to supporting cycling across London and is working on a number of ways to make this happen. One of the best ways to support cycling in London is to focus on driving usage in its Bike Share Scheme. More users mean less cars on the road, fewer traffic jams, lower emissions and greatly improves public health through physical activity.

London can grow its Bike Share Schemes by focusing on making it even more user friendly. The happier riders are the more uptake Bike Share Schemes will incur, and as a result the more active London will become.

At Stage Intelligence we use Artificial Intelligence to simplify the distribution of bicycles in Bike Share Schemes. When Bike Share Schemes are properly distributed and made easy-to-use, customer satisfaction increases. Bike Share Scheme optimisation can effectively help transform the London transport experience. We think that Khan’s support in bettering cycling in London is a great place to begin in bringing his vision to life.

To find out more about Stage Intelligence’s technology and how it can assist in making the distribution in Bike Share Schemes as efficient as possible please visit our website: http://bit.ly/2bl1cbH

http://stageintelligence.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Putting-Cycling-at-the-Centre-of-Active-Transport-in-London.jpg380620stageintelligencehttp://stageintelligence.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Si-logo_long.pngstageintelligence2016-10-02 12:06:392017-08-21 14:34:59Putting Cycling at the Centre of Active Transport in London